246 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS. 



States may be taken as a good example. Of all living Lizards, 

 the largest are the Monitors ( Varanidoe^) which are exclusively 

 confined to the Old World, and attain sometimes a length of 

 from six to eight feet. Very large, too, are some of the 



FIG. 122. Blind-worm (Anguis fragilis). (After BclL) 



Iguanas which occur in warm regions in various parts of 

 the world, but especially in South America, where they are 

 often eaten. Related to the Iguanas are the singular Lizards 

 known as the Flying Dragons (Draco volans), various species 

 of which inhabit the Indian Archipelago and the East Indies. 

 They are all of small size, living in trees and feeding on in- 

 sects ; and their great peculiarity consists in the fact that cer- 

 tain of the ribs are straightened out, and support a wing-like 

 fold of the skin on each side of the body, by means of which 

 the animal can take very extensive leaps from tree to tree. 



The Scincoid Lizards form a very large family, represented 

 by numerous species in all parts of the world. The species 

 figured below is a common form in Egypt and Arabia, and was 

 formerly used as a remedy in various diseases. A nearly- 

 allied species is the Blue-tailed Lizard (Scincus fasciatus) of 

 the United States. 



The Geckos ( GeckotidoB] form a large group of night-lov- 

 ing Lizards, which are found in most parts of the world, and 



